Heartache
by vain-comforts
Summary: Everything changed when Kaye met the boy of her dreams. Everything changed again when he left her. Now, she's headed off into the magical world with no sense of what's going on. Will she survive in this strange new place?
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING, I TELL YOU. **

**A/N: Well, this is my first fan fiction story. Enjoy, and please review.**

Chapter One:

Every word he spoke cut through her like knives.

"We… we weren't meant to be together. It just can't happen. We're so… different, you and me. I'm sorry. Goodbye."

He left her there with nothing but an empty heart, walked away, and never looked back. She almost refused to believe his words. 'Why did he do this to me?' she thought to herself as the tears began to fall down her face. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. And yet, she could not stop thinking. Not that minute, that hour, or that day.

For weeks, she could only think of _him_. The only guy she had ever met that she could trust. The bonds she thought they would share for eternity were stripped away in seconds.

Kaye had always struggled with her emotions, but compared to what had happened to her in the past, this was the all-time worst. She would always love a little too much, and would eventually force herself to get out of the whole relationship, for fear of getting hurt.

She wasn't afraid of spiders, or ghosts, or monsters. She wasn't afraid of scary movies, or even strange people.  
What she was most afraid of was herself.

Her own mind was her worst enemy. Her own thoughts often threw herself into depression, threatening to push her over the line of insanity. It had been this way since she was twelve years old.

This summer, she met a guy. She was seventeen, and was definitely allowed to meet guys now. She was by herself on the beach, snapping photographs of every angle of the waves, when a hand tapped her shoulder. She turned, and there he was.  
Mr. Perfection, smiling and handsome.

How could she refuse when he offered her to play a game of volleyball? Of course, she kicked his butt, thanks to her years of practice from being on her school's varsity volleyball team. But never-the-less, she had a great time.

He took her out every night. They would have coffee, or dinner, and they'd play arcade games, and have sand-fights along the beach. And every moment they spent together, whether they were talking, laughing, or just looking into each other's eyes, she felt closer to him. Closer than anyone she had ever known.

Slowly, she began to tear down the walls protecting herself from truly loving anyone. And then, two weeks later, he left her to weep in her own ruins.

Kaye got up from her bed quickly, not trusting herself to dwell on those thoughts. She dressed and headed out the door.

As she turned facing the street after locking the door, she spotted a creature with a peculiar item in its beak. A brown, spotted owl was holding an envelope.

'How strange... those kinds of owls don't live in Florida... and they definitely don't carry letters.' She thought to herself.

The owl approached her cautiously, unsure of her unfamiliar face. It dropped the letter from its beak a few feet away from her, and then flew off.

She picked up the envelope and examined it. It was made out of an old-fashioned kind of paper, and even had a wax seal on it. She didn't understand what the seal meant, so she ignored it and tore it off. Unfolding the letter, she began to read:

_Dear Miss Bains,_

_You have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of all books and equipment for the year, along with directions to Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express. Normally, you would have attended this school much earlier. However, the circumstances changed, and it was decided that you should attend at a later age._

_The Hogwarts term begins on September 1st. Please reply no later than July 31st. _

_Respectfully,_

_Minerva McGonagall,  
Deputy Headmistress_

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Kaye shouted, ignoring the rude stares at her from across the street. "IS THIS A JOKE?"  
She was simply infuriated. How could someone think she was so naive? As if _she_ were stupid enough to fall for this prank.

'A school? Of 'Witchcraft and Wizardry'? That's impossible! There's no such thing!' she thought angrily to herself. Without giving the idea any more thought, she stuffed the parchment into her purse and stormed off, not caring where she ended up.

**A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. How'm I doing? Please, review!**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: Second chapter, hoo-rah. This chapter isn't as interesting as the last one and the ones to follow, but Kaye really needed some more detail. **

Chapter Two:

Fifteen minutes later, Kaye was totally and completely lost. She attempted going back the way she came, but only managed to find herself even more confused. Frustrated, she attempted to relax herself by sipping on a hot cup of coffee from the local café.

By the time she drank half of the steamy, refreshing liquid, she remember the letter she had carelessly thrown into her bag. Retrieving it, she smoothed out the crumples and reread the letter. Still, she could not believe what she was reading.

As she read over the instructions to Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express Station, she still wasn't convinced.

"A woman will collect you and your belongings outside of your house, and will then take you to a bar and hotel called The Leaky Cauldron on August 28th. She will then show you the way to Diagon Alley. Do not worry, she can be trusted. Be sure to bring plenty of muggle money." the letter stated.

'What on earth is 'muggle money'?' she asked herself silently.

As she read the instructions to reach the station, a puzzled look grew upon her face. "Platform 9 ¾? There's no such thing…" she mumbled to herself.

Kaye was so confused. For the first time in seven years, she wished he parents were with her to help solve this wretched riddle. The thought brought back an ache in her chest, one she had though she gotten rid of ages ago. The death of her parents was still a mystery to her. She had been an orphan for as long as she could remember.

And to be honest, she still was an orphan. She had never been adopted by any foster parents, and didn't want to be. At the age of eleven, she had run away from her orphanage. Why would she ever want her parents to be replaced?

Kaye was the sort of independent girl that had always thought she could care for herself. And, the fact is, she could. Surprisingly enough, she was successful in her escape. No police found her, and she never bothered to turn herself in. Sure, six months scavenging for scraps in the trash and living in dark, creepy alley ways was never fun, but she made it through.

Eventually, she got a job working at a small, family-owned grocery store. The family was kind enough to let her stay in their home for free until she had enough money to start paying them for rent. They helped her with changing her name and getting all of the fake legal documents, and pretended that Kaye was their child when any nosy government officials came around with questions.

At the age of thirteen she moved on to a higher-paying job. Eventually, she got her own apartment. She would have bought it all on her own, except for the fact that minors were not allowed to buy apartments. Again, the family helped her out. Kaye gave all of the money to them, and they bought it for her. She would always be grateful to them.

And now, here she was: Kaye Bains, grown up and living on her own, free from her prison, the orphanage.

Kaye got up from the table and threw the foam cup previously containing her coffee away in a nearby trash can, and began to search for a way home.

After about two hours of searching, she finally made it back. Exhausted, she collapsed on the couch, and instantly drifted off to sleep.

When her eyes flittered open, it was 12:00 noon. Grumbling, she made her way over to the bathroom to fix herself up. Her ordinary, boring brown hair was a frizzy mess, but she managed to get it back into its normal, straight shape. It was long. 'Almost too long..' she thought to herself.

She had never known what color her eyes were. Whenever she asked her friends, their responses would vary from green, to blue, to grey.

She was tall, almost 5'9". Everyone she knew claimed she would be a perfect model, with her thin, slender body and her height. The thought of her being in a photograph was revolting. She never believed it when people said that she was extremely photogenic. She preferred to be the person behind the camera, not in front of it.

Kaye sighed, and walked into the kitchen. After gorging on an extra large bowl of cereal, and feeling pretty awful about it, she decided to leave the house.

As she grabbed her keys from the table, she noticed her bag, with the crumpled letter peeking out of it. Memories from the day before rushed back into her mind, and she realized what day it was. August 27th. Recalling what the letter had said, a woman would stop by her house tomorrow.

'Can this really be true? No... no. It can't be...' she thought to herself.

After thinking about it for a while, she decided she would be ready, just in case. She packed her things, stuffed the total amount of her savings into her purse, and headed off to bed. It was early, but she needed the sleep.

Before drifting off, an image appeared in her mind. It was fuzzy and blurry, and she couldn't figure out what it was. She tried concentrating, but it only made the powerful and overwhelming sense of exhaustion take over her. She slept, dreaming of the unlimited possibilities of what it could be…


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: Well, third update. Enjoy, and please, don't forget to review!**

Chapter Three:

"BLOODY HELL!" Kaye screamed, jumping up from the couch. It was that time of night when everything was silent. Tears were flowing swiftly down her cheeks. Her heart was beating frantically, and she couldn't make the image go away.

"NO, NO, NO!" Kaye screamed again. She fell to the floor and put her head on her knees, covering her head with her arms.

The tears wouldn't stop. She couldn't breathe. Her temples were throbbing.

Each time the pain started to ease off, she thought of the image again, and the whole sequence started all over again.

"Please… please. Go away." She pleaded, begging for the pain to stop.

_He_ was there again, conquering her mind. Contaminating her thoughts and dreams, like a poison.

'Why won't you leave me alone! Get out of my head!' she thought, angrily.

The cycle of pain didn't cease until 7 am. She had endured four hours of torture, enough to make her puke up everything she had eaten in the past two days.

She didn't even have enough time to wipe her face before she passed out on the cold, tile floor of her bathroom from sheer exhaustion.

Peace, Happiness, and Freedom: the three best words to describe exactly how she felt as she slept in her unconscious state. She never wanted to leave. She could just stay, exactly like this. No one would miss her…

"Wake up, dearie! Come on, now, time to wake up!" said a voice.

"Mmmmmmmmmph," Kaye groaned.

A soft, worn hand tapped her face. "Get up, get up." The voice was sweet, like a mother's.

Kaye's eyes slowly opened. "Whaa?" she said, without entirely meaning to.

Gathering up her composure, she sat up. "Who are you?" she said in a clear, firm, yet somehow confused voice.

The woman smiled, and replied, "I'm that woman. Oh, you know, the one that was supposed to meet you at your house? I was waiting for hours, dear. It's 11:45! Good thing I had the sense to barge in, hmm? Anyway, my name is Molly Weasley. The headmaster at your new school requested that I helped you out. Come now, let's get you some food in that stomach of yours."

Kaye winced as she attempted to stand. Sleeping on a hard tile floor was definitely not good for her back. She yawned, stretched, and then made her way into the kitchen.

"Mmmm… that smells delicious," Kaye said as she eyed the food on the table laid out before her. "How'd you make it so fast?" she asked.

"Oh, well… erm. I'll talk about it to you later, dearie. Go on, eat up! You'll need your strength today." Molly replied.

Kaye nodded and began to feast on the meal before her, which consisted of eggs, toast, pancakes, waffles, orange juice, milk, bacon, biscuits, and muffins. 'Pure heaven,' she thought.

Kaye ate till her stomach insisted her to stop. Most of the meal was left untouched, but Molly didn't mind.

"Okay, um, when are we leaving?" Kaye asked. Even after all of this, she wasn't certain that a wizarding community truly existed.

"I suppose we should leave now, so we can get a head start on everything."

"Oh… alright. My stuff's already packed… I just need to change." Kaye replied, and ran off to her room. She came back into the kitchen with some fresh jeans and a t-shirt, and said, "Um, okay, I'm ready."

"Wonderful!" Molly said, "Off we go." She grabbed a suitcase and made her way towards the door.

Kaye stood awkwardly, looking at the woman with an uncertain look.

"Come on! We haven't got all day! I've already sent an owl for you saying that you will be attending. Wouldn't want to disappoint the teachers, hmm?" Molly said.

Kaye nodded and followed, grabbing a second suitcase on her way out the door. She locked it, and silently said her goodbyes.

Molly led her to a nearby alley way, and whispered, "Can't have anyone seeing us. This might feel a bit weird, but it won't last long."

'What the hell is she going to do to me!' Kaye thought, and cast a frightened glance at the woman. Before she had a chance to back out, Molly grabbed her arm. Suddenly, she heard a loud "POP". Her surroundings faded, swirling around her, and finally turned black.

Molly was right. It didn't last long. What felt like milliseconds later, the world around her started to come back into focus.

When she regained her balance and took a good look around, she wasn't in the alley any more. Instead, she found herself in a quiet neighborhood in what she guessed was London.

"Whaa! But -- we were -- and now…!" Kaye stuttered, becoming helplessly confused.

"Hush. I know, this is strange, but I promise, everything will be explained to you soon."

Kaye forced herself not to ask questions, though the urge was killing her.

Molly led her into a musty, dirty bar. 'This must be The Leaky Cauldron,' she thought silently. The atmosphere was dark and gloomy. Strange people wearing odd robes of every color would look at her, wondering who she was. Kaye shuddered. The place gave her the creeps.

Kaye sat down at a table, and waited for Molly to come back with the drinks. She arrived carrying two pints of a yellowish drink that reminded her of beer. Though, when she sniffed it, it had no smell of alcohol. As she gave it a taste, the drink instantly warmed her up.

"Now then," Molly started, "shall I begin with your explanation?" Kaye nodded in reply. "Alright. Do your best to take it all in – it's a lot of things to learn at one time. Oh, how to start. Well, Kaye, there are two types of people in our world…"


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: Read & review, please & thanks! **

Chapter Four:

Kaye had finished four and a half butterbeers during the time Molly Weasley had given her an explanation of the magical world. Kaye's thoughts were fuzzy, but she wasn't _totally_ drunk.

Okay, well, maybe she was.

Even if the beverage didn't have any alcohol in it, there was definitely something at least alcohol-like. Kaye wanted to puke. This would be her first drinking experience, and she hoped she never went through anything like it ever again.

She had understood what Mrs. Weasley had said during her explanation, but the words the kind woman had spoken were quickly starting to slip from her mind. Kaye was having a hard time figuring out if what she had just heard was all part of a dream, or if it was reality.

'Does it matter?' she thought to herself, gulping down the rest of her butterbeer.

She glared at a long scratch on the hard, wood table in front of her. After a few minutes, she was aware that Molly's lips were moving, but she wasn't making any noise.

'Huh?' Kaye thought, as a confused expression appeared on her face. A dizzying feeling passed over her, and before she fell into an unconscious state, she thought to her self, 'Oh boy, not again.'

Then, darkness.

------------------------------

She woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed with the worst headache in history.

The slightest amount of light made her head feel like it was going to explode.

"Owww," she grumbled out loud to herself.

Molly then came into the hotel room with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry… I should have stopped you from drinking all of those butterbeers. I suppose I was just so concentrated on getting that explanation just right. Ohhh, dear me," Molly said. Kaye sat up against a pillow, holding the side of her head with one hand.

"Here, drink this," Molly handed her a small vial containing a dark green potion. "It'll help with the hangover."

Kaye gulped it down as fast as she could, hoping that if she drank it quickly, she wouldn't have to taste its vulgar flavor. No such luck.

She winced at the disgusting after-taste the liquid left in her mouth, and washed it down with the glass of water on a small table next to the bed.

The potion took effect immediately, freeing her from the blur that clouded her thoughts. She felt like her normal self again.

Kaye crawled out of bed and thanked Molly, and then went to take a shower. When she came out, she found that Molly had laid out a few robes on the bed, like the ones she had seen the other people in the bar wearing, but hers were all black.

Kaye didn't like them very much, but put them on anyways. She would do anything to express the gratitude she felt toward Molly.

After fixing her hair in the mirror, she left the room and entered an empty hallway. Finding the stairs, she ran down and searched for Molly. Spotting her at a long, wooden table, she walked over and sat herself down on a bench.

"Good Morning," Molly said, smiling, "You'd better eat. We've got lots to do today."

Kaye nodded and picked a few of her favorites from the plates in front of her.

"Don't eat too fast, dear," Molly scolded, waving a finger.

Kaye looked down at her plate. Her fork had three large pieces of pancakes lodged into it, and her mouth was stuffed with eggs. She _was_ eating too fast. 'Is it because I'm excited?' she thought to herself, '…But how can I be excited for something that can't be possible?'

She still had her doubts about the whole magical world. Sure, she had seen a lot of evidence so far, but something inside of her kept her from truly believing.

She stopped herself and followed Molly past the bar and into a room. It was cluttered with suitcases and other odd objects. They wandered through the mess until they were in front of the wall facing towards them. It was made out of old, grey bricks. A few of them were missing.

'Wow,' Kaye thought sarcastically, 'it's a wall.'

Then, Molly pulled a long, thin piece of wood out from one of her pockets. A wand, if she remembered correctly from Molly's explanation. She tapped a few of the bricks, and slipped the stick back into her robes. She waited, as if she were expecting something to happen…

Kaye was about to say that they should probably try using a door, when she noticed the bricks were slowly starting to _move_.

She gasped in awe as she watched the bricks shift until there was a large enough gap in the wall for both of the women to go out.

When she went through the gap, Kaye found herself in a bright street, surrounded by crowds of bustling people. Shops were everywhere, cramped together, almost on top of each other.

"Oh my god…" Kaye had to remember to breathe. This place was amazing. _Everyone _was smiling.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Molly said, smiling. She hooked Kaye's arm with hers and led the so-shocked-she-couldn't-move girl into a nearby shop.

It was a quiet, empty place. It looked like it had existed for centuries. The shelves were stacked with small, long, dusty boxes.

Kaye looked at Molly with a questioning look, wondering what kind of shop this was.

Just then, an old man with frizzy white hair and a scruffy face walked out from the stacks.

"Ah, Molly! I wondered if I'd be seeing you again. And… is this…?" he asked, nodding in Kaye's direction.

"Yes, Oliver."

"My, oh my. She looks exactly like…"

"Yes, I noticed that too."

"What did you notice? Who do I look like?" Kaye asked, becoming suddenly confused and frustrated.

"Never you mind, dearie. Oliver, we're in a bit of a hurry." Molly said.

"Ah, yes, of course." Oliver replied, and walked back into the stacks of shelves. He came out with one of the long boxes, opened it up, and set it on the desk in front of him.

Kaye walked over and picked it up, holding it in her hand. "What do I do with it?" she asked.

Oliver chuckled and said, "Just wave it,"

She did as he instructed, and instantly, a pile of papers sitting on the desk flew up into the air and tore into hundreds of tiny pieces. Kaye gave a frightened gasp, and set the wand back in its box.

"No, not that one." Oliver said, and walked back into the stacks. He came out with another box, and handed it to her.

Kaye opened it up and gave the wand a little flick. The chair sitting in the corner of the store shattered, and tiny splinters flew up and lodged themselves into the creaky wood floors of the store.

"Not that one, either." Oliver said. He left again and came back with yet another box.

Kaye opened it up, sighed, and picked up the wand. A golden light shimmered upon her, and a strong gust of wind appearing from nowhere threatened to push her over. When it went away, she looked up, and saw two bright, smiling faces looking at her.

"You, mistress, are going to be a very powerful witch," he told her.

Molly gave a cry of delight, and rushed over to hug here. Kaye couldn't help but smile with a feeling of satisfaction.

'I'm a witch…' she thought, trying to get used to the idea.

Molly let her go, reached into her robes, and took out a small bag of coins. She picked out a few, and handed them to Oliver. "I hope you don't mind, dear," she said to Kaye, "I went over to Gringotts… erm, the bank, and exchanged your muggle money for wizard's money."

"Not at all, Mrs. Weasley, thank you." Kaye replied.

Their next stop was the bookstore. It was crowded, unlike Oliver's store. It took a while, but they eventually got every book she would need for school.

Then, they headed over to a supply store. She bought quills, ink, paper, and other school necessities.

Finally, they made their way over to a pet store called Magical Menagerie. Molly insisted that she buy an owl. Kaye chose the prettiest one she saw: an owl with amber eyes and gold-tipped feathers.

"Well," Mrs. Weasley said, "that's everything on the list."

"Thank you so much Mrs. Weasley, you have no idea how grateful I am to you. If not for you, I'd be moping around at home, wasting my time. But this… this place, this experience… it's all so amazing."

Mrs. Weasley wiped a tear from her eye, and gave Kaye a hug.

Kaye smiled. This day couldn't get any better.


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N: I don't know why I bother with these Author's Note things. I normally don't have all that much to say. Whatever. Read and review, kthanks. **

Chapter Five:

The next day was August 30th. The day the Hogwarts Express left the station, and took every student attending the school to the relatively secret location of the castle.

Kaye was really, really nervous.

As they walked around Kings Cross station, Mrs. Weasley said, "You'll be fine dear," after catching Kaye's worried look. "I'll introduce you to all my children – after being around you for so long, I'm quite certain you'll be in Gryffindor." She said, smiling.

"But I know nothing about magic and I'm a seventh year!" Kaye said a bit too loudly, "How am I supposed to be expected to pass all of my classes!"

Molly pursed her lips and replied, "You'll manage."

Kaye sighed. The trolley she was pushing around was getting heavier every step she took.

Finally, they reached Platform 9. Mrs. Weasley guided Kaye to a brick wall in the middle of the platform that supported the station's structure. "Now, all you have to do is go straight through that wall."

"Whaaa?" Kaye said, her mouth dropping in confusion.

"Go on, go on. Best to do it at a running start. I'll be there right after you. "

Kaye did what she was told, and ran through the wall.

She found herself in another station. The sign above her said "Platform 9 ¾". Other kids with trunks were running all over the place, trying to get onboard the train as fast as they could, eager to see their friends.

Molly then appeared beside her and pointed to a group of people with firey red hair, like Molly's. "Oh, look, there's Ron! And Ginny! And Arthur! My husband took the children here this year. Come, let me introduce you… oh, never mind. I'm sure you'll meet them soon. Quickly, get inside. I'll take your trunk to storage."

Kaye gave Mrs. Weasley a long hug, said goodbye, and then ran off onto the train.

-------------------------

'There are NO FREAKING EMPTY COMPARTMENTS!' Kaye thought angrily to herself. Where the heck was she supposed to sit? Surely not with anyone she didn't know... she was much to shy for anything like that.

She looked to her left. Full. Then, she looked to her right. Also full. Kaye sighed. The cycle continued for what seemed like forever.

As she looked through the compartments, she couldn't help but notice how friendly everyone was to each other. Everybody had their own group, and their own friends. She sighed again. 'This had better not be like high school," she thought. Kaye would be an outsider in this new school. Everybody else would have known each other for ages, except for her.

Finally, she found one.

"Thank god!" She said, and rushed inside. She had found a compartment, totally and completely empty. Perfect. She lay down on the seat, suddenly exhausted.

'It's going to be a long train ride, right?' she asked herself, 'So I may as well pass the time by sleeping…'

Before she could think anything else, she fell asleep.

-------------------------

Somebody was shaking her.

"What? What?" Kaye asked, jumping up.

A girl with the longest, thickest, dirty blonde hair she had ever seen was staring at her with deep, silvery grey eyes.

"You were screaming. And sort of crying. Did you know you talk in your sleep?" the girl said.

Kaye blushed, and wiped her face with her sleeve. "Uh, not really… what did I say?"

"I didn't catch much. I was asleep myself. Something like 'Why did you go' and 'I hate you' and …" she stopped. "You're crying again."

"No, I'm not." Kaye said stubbornly, trying to hide her face.

Trying to distract her, the girl said, "I'm Luna Lovegood. I haven't seen you around…"

"Um, yeah, I'm new. My name's Kaye Bains."

"What year are you in?" Luna asked.

"Uh… I think I'm in my 7th." Kaye replied.

"Wow, that's unusual. I'm in my 6th, by the way. What school did you go to before you went here?" Luna asked.

"I didn't go to one."

"So, your parents taught you?" Luna asked, suddenly curious.

"No." Kaye said.

"So, you taught your self?"

"No."

"Oh."

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Luna asked, "Why are you here?"

"I'm not sure," Kaye replied honestly, "I don't even know that much about magic. And I don't know _anything_ about how to use it."

Luna smiled and said, "Dumbledore must've brought you here under special circumstances. I bet you'll be amazing at magic."

"Yeah, right," Kaye scoffed.

Luna shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat, darling. But when you find out you have some super special secret powers, don't come running to me. There's no way Dumbledore brought you here in your _seventh_ year for no particular reason."

Kaye sighed for what felt like the thousandth time today. It was dark outside of the large, glass window. She could barely see the faint shadows of tall trees upon the grassy meadow.

"How much longer will it be until we get to the school?" Kaye asked.

"Probably about an hour or so," said Luna.

Kaye sighed, yet again, and closed her eyes.


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N: I know, it's an awfully short chapter, but I just HAD to cut it off and leave you all with that ending, muaha. Sorry it took so long -- the FanFiction site was acting all screwy. I dunno why. Read and Review!**

Chapter Six:

"Hey, Kaye, wake up, we're almost there," a voice said.

Kaye gave an "Mmff" sound and said, "All I wanted to do is sleep. Is that really too much to ask? Why does something always interrupt me from--" she stopped herself and gasped.

Kaye had thought that Hogwarts would be some old, creepy castle that was falling apart. She was completely mistaken. Outside of the train's window stood a castle that would take anyone's breath away, no matter how many time's they'd seen it.

The train slowed, and then lurched to a sudden halt.

"C'mon, let's go," Luna said, dragging Kaye out of the compartment.

Everyone knew where they were supposed to go. The youngest students gathered before the largest man Kaye had ever seen, while the rest of the students got into carriages that seemed to move by themselves.

"You don't mind sitting with a couple of sixth years, do you?" Luna asked.

"Not at all," Kaye replied, "Besides, it's not like I have any friends here."

Luna smiled and said, "Sure you do, you have me!"

Kaye smiled back and followed Luna into one of the many carriages waiting to take them all to the school.

Inside, Luna introduced Kaye to a few of her friends.

"This here is Ginny Weasley, and that's Neville Longbottom," Luna said warmly. "Guys, this is Kaye Bains. She's a new seventh year here."

"Ah, so you're the girl my mother left us for these past few weeks," Ginny said jokingly.

"Haha, yes, that'd be me. She's a wonderful woman, you know," Kaye replied.  
Ginny smiled.

"Uh, which house are you hoping to get into this year?" Neville asked Kaye.

"Um, I can hardly remember them all… but from what Ginny's mum said, I guess I'd like to be in Gryffindor."

The twenty minute carriage ride was filled with the first real conversation Kaye had in years.

When they arrived at the castle, a prim-looking woman with green robes and square glasses strode up to her. "Miss Bains?" She asked, politely.

"Yes?"

"I'm Professor McGonagall. Because you are new to this school, you must be sorted into one of the four houses. All you really need to do is put a hat on. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. So, stand here with the first years, and walk in with them. You'll probably be the first to be called, since this is an… erm, Special occasion. Don't worry, you'll know what to do." And with that, she strode off.

Kaye gathered along with all of the first years. They looked at her with their cute little faces with a look of curiosity, and were probably wondering why someone so much older was standing around with them, waiting to be sorted. Kaye sighed, and tried to remember being that young. She couldn't.

Kaye watched as Professor McGonagall told the first years what to do. After a few minutes of waiting, she opened the tall, thick wooden doors that led into what just may have been one of the largest rooms in the whole entire castle.

The students sitting on the benches at long wooden tables began to cheer like crazy, welcoming them all to Hogwarts.

Kaye followed the group of first years at the very back, hoping that no one noticed her. She tried to make herself smaller, but failed miserably. 'Why do I have to be so tall?' she asked herself.

They finally arrived at the front of the room. Everyone was looking at an ancient man with frizzy white hair and a beard that had grown all the way down to his stomach, who looked as if he were the happiest man alive.

"Welcome, all. As some of you may have heard, we have quite a few new students this year, but there is one in particular that I would like to point out." The old man, she realized, must be the Dumbledore that Luna and Mrs. Weasley had talked about before. He looked down from his podium and smiled at Kaye.

"Miss Kaye Bains will be joining us in her seventh year, as she is quite an unusual circumstance. But before I begin to babble on and on, let's begin the sorting!"

Somewhere out in the crowd, a boy choked on his water.


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Another relatively short chapter. Gah, I keep thinking that I'm going to make a long chapter, and then it always turns out short. Whatever. Chapter 8 is almost finished, woop. Read! Review!**

Chapter Seven:

Professor McGonagall took her place on the platform in front of the students, and stood next to a stool holding an old, worn, oddly-shaped hat. "Bains, Kaye?" she asked, staring at Kaye.

Kaye swallowed and winced, her throat suddenly becoming dry. Her legs threatened to turn into jelly as walked up onto the platform. She sat down on the stool, and McGonagall placed the hat on top of her head.

'_Hmm, hmmm, what have we here?' _said an unfamiliar, gravelly voice inside Kaye's head.

'Huh? Who is this?' she asked the voice.

'_I'm The Sorting Hat. I sift through all of the thoughts and memories stored in your mind, to find out which of the four houses you are to be placed in.'_ the voice said.

'Well, that's awfully strange.' Kaye said.

'_I suppose…' _the voice then snapped at her, _'Are you going to let me do my job or not?'_

'Oh, uh, sure. You go right ahead and sift.' Kaye said.

'_Hmm… you're plenty intelligent, that's for sure. And a great ease of learning, yes. But you've been through so much... it threatens to darken you. There's something here, it's huge… is it…? HAH! It is. Love; embedded into your flesh and blood. Let's see... plenty of bravery and courage… ah, and the will to die for the ones you love.'_

"_GRYFFINDOR!" _the voice shouted out loud.

The cheers from the Gryffindor table were deafening.

Smiling, she ran over to one of the empty seats at the end of the table, and sat next to Ginny, who was eagerly waiting for her.

"I knew you'd get into Gryffindor!" she said happily.

Kaye just smiled, and watched the other students get sorted into their houses.

On the other side of the table, a boy who normally loved these sort of events was quiet. When his friends asked him what was wrong, all he could do was look up with a fake smile and eyes showing only pain.

------------------------

The feast was wonderful. Kaye didn't think she had eaten this much in her whole entire life, and for once, she didn't feel bad about it.

Ginny introduced her to the people sitting around her. Kaye did her best to remember their names, and only slipped up one or two times.

'This is _definitely _not like high school,' she thought. She couldn't believe so many people were so eager to get to know her.

Eventually, they were kicked out of what Kaye soon discovered what was called the Great Hall. Kaye followed everyone from the Gryffindor table through a maze of stairs until they reached a life-size portrait of a very fat woman. Someone uttered a few words, and the portrait swung open.

After being shoved through the narrow corridor, she found herself inside the Gryffindor common room. It was beautiful, with a warm, blazing fire and the cozy colors of red and gold displayed throughout the entire space.

Everyone regrouped and started to socialize again.

Ginny soon introduced Kaye to her older twin brothers: Fred and George. Instead of everyone getting a good night's sleep, Fred (or, was it George?) proposed that they all stayed up till 2 in the morning and got drunk off their asses and partied till they passed out. They all agreed to do just that – minus the drunk off their asses part.

Kaye stayed for a while, but soon started to feel a little glum. 'The last time I had this much fun, I was with...' she stopped herself before she thought his name.

'I can't keep doing this to myself. He's gone. I have to get over him.' She thought. Sighing, she told her new friends that she was tired and wanted to sleep. As she explored her dormitory, she knew that, in truth, she wouldn't be able to sleep for hours.

----------------------

Sleep brought newfound strength to Kaye, even if it _was_ only for an hour or two. She took a deep breath and forced her body to leave her extraordinarily comfortable bed.

Kaye put on her school robes, which, oddly enough, she had grown to like over the past few days. In one pocket, she placed her new wand. In the other, she put a map that a girl (she couldn't remember the name) had given her the night before.

She strolled out of the room, and closed the door quietly behind her, not wanting to wake the other girls. As she walked down the stairs and through the common room, she couldn't help but admire its beauty. She smiled and twirled around, soaking up the warm feeling the place gave her. Satisfied, she made her way through the narrow corridor.

Kaye hadn't noticed the boy sitting on the other set of stairs who had unquestionably been staring at her. He had to remember to breathe. 'She looks so happy…' he thought after she had left. The fact broke his heart. She was over him.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight:

The Great Hall took a bit of searching to find, but Kaye managed, thanks to the map. The room was relatively empty, with only a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws sitting at the tables. No Gryffindors or Slytherins. They were all probably getting as much sleep as they could, grateful that they had a few days before classes started.

There wasn't much to do in the Great Hall except eat and chat, so Kaye left to do some more exploring.

Her first stop was the library. It was so different from the muggle libraries back at home. The books were worn and hand-printed, but beautiful. Kaye occupied her busy mind with a few hours of reading, learning as much as she could about magic and how to use it.

Eventually, a girl named Lavender Brown came and told her to come watch the first Quidditch practice of the season. Curious, Kaye left her books and walked with Lavender up into the stands.

Practically every Gryffindor girl was there, waiting for the practice to start. Kaye spotted a girl with bushy brown hair, who beckoned for her to come and sit beside her.

"Hi, Kaye. I'm Hermione Granger," the girl said, smiling.

"Hi," Kaye replied, shyly. She had heard about this girl. According to the students, she one of the smartest in the school

"Ooh, they're starting!" one of the girls squealed and giggled.

The Gryffindor team gathered in the center of the field in a circular formation. The players talked for a few minutes, and then kicked off into the air on broomsticks, flying into their positions.

Kaye gave a little gasp and thought, 'It must feel so exhilarating, being up there…'

One girl hadn't flown up yet. She held her broomstick in her right hand. On the ground, Kaye could see a large trunk. 'It's moving…' she noticed.

The girl then kicked open the trunk, and released two large, flying balls into the air. She then released a glittery object that was almost too small to see. Finally, she threw another larger ball into the air. As soon as all of the balls were in the air, the game began.

The whole game was a chaotic, fast-paced, adrenalin-filled mess.

Hermione told Kaye what each of the ball's names were and what they do, and then pointed out a few of the players.

"That's Ginny over there, being a Chaser, trying to get the quaffle into those rings. And there's Ron being a Keeper, guarding those rings. Over there's Harr – Kaye?"

Kaye jumped out of her dazed expression and said, "Huh? Wha? Sorry, did you say something? I was just thinking about…"

"What were you thinking about?" Hermione asked, smiling.

Kaye stared at the players, swooping around on their broomsticks. "Nothing. It's just.."

She stopped, not wanting to continue.

"It's okay, I don't have to know." Hermione said, and then went back to watching the practice.

'He would love this." Kaye thought sadly.

The girls watched for a while, and then headed back into the castle.

-------------------

Classes would start the very next day. They got their schedules at lunch, in the Great Hall.

Kaye spotted Ginny on the other side of the table and went over to talk to her.

Hermione didn't even notice that Kaye had left her side. "Ron, I'm worried about Harry. He hasn't been himself lately. I don't know what's going on with him. He barely comes down to eat, let alone talk with us. Would you go fix him up for me?"

"Sure," Ron replied. He stuffed a pancake into his mouth, and then got up from the table. He knew exactly where Harry would be: moping around the dormitory, trying to pretend like nothing was wrong.

Ron ran up the long flight of stairs quickly. He had also been worrying about Harry a lot lately. What had happened to him over the summer? He wasn't his usual self on the train, and he became even stranger after the feast in the Great Hall on the first day at Hogwarts.

Ron's curiosity grew and grew as he thought these facts through. Finally, he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. '_Skiving Snacks_' he spoke to her. The portrait swung open, and Ron ran into the Gryffindor common room.

He ran up the stairs and opened the door to his dormitory. Harry was lying on his bed, facing the spot where Ron stood, his eyes hardly open.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry blinked, his eyes opening a bit wider.

"…Ron?" he asked, his voice gruff and crackly.

Ron walked over to Harry's bed and pulled his arm so that he was sitting up.

"Harry, you've hardly spoken at all these past few days. C'mon, tell me what's up."

Harry shook his head.

"I …" he stopped to cough, clearing his throat, "I just don't know if I can this time, Ron. It's different, I guess."

Ron stared hard at Harry, observing his sunken-in, dull green eyes, his pale skin, and his sad expression. He had changed this summer -- for the worse.

"Harry, you're going to have to tell me what's going on. Hermione's orders, see. I'll be here all day if I have to."

Harry sighed, rolled over, and began to think.

After five minutes of silence, he rolled over and spoke.

"This summer was so much fun, Ron. I would constantly sneak out of my aunt and uncle's house, going where ever I pleased, and I didn't even care when they would scream at me for getting home so late. I didn't worry about Death Eaters or Voldemort -- I was ready for them and anything they had planned, and I still am…"

Harry hesitated, bringing back the memories he had tried so hard to forget. "And then, one day, I went to the beach…"


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: ** **I'm sorry I'm taking so long! School's been pretty hectic lately, and field hockey season's starting. Enjoy.**

Chapter Nine:

"DON'T TELL HERMIONE!" Harry shouted. "Please! I saw her in the stands when we were practicing – she was talking to… you know, her. And if you tell Hermione, she'll start fussing with me, trying to get me to… oh, who knows what she'll try to make me do. Talk to… her, most likely."

"Well, why don't you?" Ron asked.

Harry glared at Ron angrily, and then explained. "I saw her. In the Great Hall, when she was being sorted, and again in the common room. She just looked so _happy,_ Ron. And god, it hurts. I don't know if I can bear to talk to her again. I loved her so much – and when I left, I thought it'd be for the best, no matter how hard it was to leave. I mean, I couldn't fall in love with a **_muggle_**. It just wouldn't work for me. The difference between us would just be too much. But now that she's here – god."

Harry put his head in his hands and shook his head, miserable about making such an awful mistake.

"Harry, you didn't know. It was a simple misunderstanding. And it **can** be fixed. I really do think you should talk to her. How do you know that she's over you? You're not inside her head."

"Ron, I just can't."

"Whatever, Harry. Are you coming down for lunch?"

"Is… she there?"

"I dunno. She was there when I left, but she might be gone. Oh come _on _Harry! You can't keep yourself in the dormitory forever! Classes are starting soon!"

"Fine, fine," Harry grumbled, getting out of bed.

-------------------------

She **_was_** there. Despite all of Harry's protests, Ron somehow managed to force him to sit down and eat. The whole time, he was fidgeting uncomfortably, his right leg bouncing like mad. Every few seconds he would cast a subtle glance toward the girl on the other side of the room -- every few seconds, his heart shattered into more and more pieces.

"Ron…" he muttered to the red-headed boy next to him. "I can't fucking do this. I'm going to head up."

He began to rise from his seat, but was stopped by a harsh hand grabbing hold of his arm.

"Harry," Hermione hissed, "sit down." Her voice was firm and demanding, and Harry didn't have much of a choice but to obey her.

He sat back down onto the bench, his head hanging low.

"Harry, look at me."

Harry did as he was told. He could feel Hermione's piercing brown eyes burning holes into him. He looked down, unable to hold her fierce gaze.

"Harry. What the hell is wrong with you?" Hermione said in a surprisingly calm, soothing voice.

Harry looked up. He tried to smile – honest, he did. He then tried to talk, but decided against it. His eyes spoke for him.

Hermione immediately recognized the hurt in his eyes – the look of loss. The fake smile couldn't fool her.

"Oh, Harry…" she gave him an understanding hug.

She let go, and they finished their meal in silence.

Hermione tried to talk to him, to give him words of support, anything – but she found that she couldn't speak. 'I'll have to have a talk with him later…' she thought to herself.

The awkward silence between the trio was strange and unfamiliar. No one could remember a time when the trio felt this awkward around each other.

Hermione and Ron looked over to where the new girl, Kaye, was sitting.

"Kayleigh Bains! Hah! I knew I'd get your first name out of you sooner or later!" Lavender shouted loudly.

Kaye blushed. A lot of girls didn't like their real names – Kaye was one of them. She shook her head at the girls, laughing and giggling, and said, "I'm **_Kaye. _**And I swear, if any of you call me Kayleigh again, I'll personally hunt you down and dye your skin green!"

The girls laughed again, and went back into their loud, chatty conversations. Kaye poked at her pancakes, frowning. The mention of her first name reminded of those distant summer memories that threatened to reopen the half-healed hole in her heart.

_**Flashback**_

"_I love you," he told her._

_The sound of the rushing waves exhilarated them. It was the only sound for miles. The sun was setting, turning the cloudless blue sky into the softest shades of pink, red, purple, and orange. The ocean's fast-paced beat matched the rhythm of their hearts. _

"_I love you too," she replied, looking up into his big green eyes as they stood, their bare feet half sunken into the wet sand as the waves rushed up to their ankles. _

"_Kayleigh," he whispered, as he kissed her forehead. "Kayleigh," he whispered, as he kissed her cheek, "Kayleigh," he whispered, as their lips finally met. _

_**End of Flashback**_

"Kaye? What's wrong?"

'I don't want to get over him. I don't want to have to make myself to forget.' She thought silently.

"Kaye? Are you okay?"

'I don't want to pretend like I'm okay. I don't want to have this fucking wall in my mind, keeping me from the world.'

"Kaye!"

'I don't want to live without him.'

"KAYE!"

Tears flooded her eyes, and finally, after keeping them locked up for so long, she let them flow.

"Kaye?"

She looked up. The whole Gryffindor table was staring at her with worried, sympathetic faces.

"Are you okay?" someone asked.

"I'll never be okay." She whispered, almost inaudibly.

She didn't even bother to wipe the hot tears from her face as she slowly got up and left the Great Hall, ignoring the confused and curious faces.

"'Mione, go after her, would you?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded in reply, and ran to catch up.


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N: Okay guys, I'm going to be honest with you: I've been lazy these past few weeks. Well, not _lazy, _exactly… just very, very busy. School, homework, & field hockey have been taking over my life. I've hardly had any time to read, let alone write! My apologies for the long wait.. and I'm sorry that this chapter is so short. Anyways, enjoy.**

Chapter Ten

Hermione found herself climbing the metal rungs of the astronomy tower ladder, panting. She had run most of the way, trying to catch up to the girl who had caused such a scene at the Gryffindor table just a few minutes ago.

She reached the trap door, and pushed using her free hand and her head. 'Locked,' Hermione thought, 'of course.' She pulled her wand out of her robes and whispered a spell. The lock made a clicking sound, and when she pushed the door the second time, it opened.

Before she went inside, she checked out the conditions of the girl she had followed. Kaye was sitting sideways on one of the tower's open window panes, her back pressed against the stone wall. The repeated sniffs suggested that she had been crying.

Hermione sighed inwardly, and fully opened the trap door. She set it down gently, not wanting to disturb the peaceful silence.

Hermione approached the window and stole a glance. The sight was captivating. You could see everything – the sky, the lake, the forest… it was simply beautiful.

"I've been waiting all my life for something like this to happen to me." Kaye said, sadly.

"Some kind of adventure. An experience I'll never forget. Something that'll change my life forever. Something… else."

"My life was miserable before all of this happened to me. It's like, for seventeen years, I wasn't even alive. I was just a body, without a soul. And then I met _him_, and my whole world turned upside down."

"I saw colors. Reds, blues, yellows, greens, purples, pinks – I saw everything, Hermione. Not just the same old ordinary blacks, grays, and whites."

"Things actually mattered to me. I had priorities. I wasn't off on a search for money so I could just scrape by, crying myself to sleep every night, wishing I were someone else. I was … having fun."

"He did that for me. He changed me. He taught me how to love."

She gave one more look towards the bright blue sky, and turned toward Hermione.

"I never knew my parents. They died a few days after I had been born. I lived at an orphanage for eleven years of my life, dreaming about them. Hoping they would somehow come back for me."

She let her brown eyes connect with Hermione's, and said, "They never did."

Hermione waited for her to continue. As the girls stared at each other, Hermione saw something in Kaye's eyes… something familiar…

"He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. And when he left me that summer… I wanted to die, Hermione. I really did. I don't know how I held on."

Kaye thought for a moment, and then continued, "I guess I forced myself forget. I don't mean to say that I ever completely forgot about him – he was always haunting my dreams. I could never really escape from him, no matter how badly I wanted to."

"The thing I don't understand is.. why did he leave me?"

She shook her head, "But I guess it doesn't matter any more. He's gone. Forever."

"I'm not sure what came over me in the Great Hall. I was thinking about him, and I let myself get too carried away."

Kaye looked back through the window, and said, "Thank you for coming after me, and listening to me ramble. I really needed someone to talk to."

Finally, Hermione spoke, "Do you mind if I ask you one thing?"

Kaye shook her head.

"What's his name?"

Kaye froze. Did she dare speak his name? The name of the boy she had desperately tried to forget?

Kaye took a long, deep breath. Tears had sprung to her eyes, and slowly began to flow down her cheeks.

"Harry Potter."

It was at that moment that Hermione knew what she had seen in Kaye's eyes, something that had been so familiar to her.

It was the very same look of loss that the-boy-who-lived himself had expressed only thirty minutes before.


End file.
